Pan-Canadian Study of

Deans’ Thoughts about

their Faculties’

Education for All

Projects

Dr. Jim Greenlaw

University of Ontario Institute of Technology

Canada

IntroductionInterviewed 15 deans across Canada using grounded theory approach

Canadian deans of education consistently value the EFA work that their professors conduct with their international partners, but they argue that this work is complex to administer.

Videotapes of the interviews were used to establish a list of 10 principles for maintaining sustainable EFA projects and partnerships.

ACDE Accord on Internationalization of Faculties of Education

IAU HEEFA Reference Group since 2007

Ted Riecken - University of Victoria

Institutional Commitment

Principles for Sustainable EFA

Projects

Establish institutional commitment – Effective EFA

projects require the ongoing moral support and financial

commitment of the university’s senior administration and

they require EFA research and service work to be

recognized in tenure and promotion and merit evaluations

of faculty members. (Riecken, Sumara, and Snart)

Empower graduate students – Graduate student

participation in EFA projects can provide vital energy to

these initiatives. (Snart)

Fern Snart – University of Alberta

Reciprocity

Principles for Sustainable EFA

Projects

Expand EFA to include lifelong learning – EFA projects

should not be limited to formal elementary level education

settings but can include all levels of both formal and non-

formal education. (McNinch and Frank)

Develop reciprocal knowledge exchanges – Research

and teaching in EFA projects should involve reciprocal and

equitable knowledge exchange. (Snart and Frank)

Jeff Orr St. Francis Xavier University

Building Lasting Relationships

Principles for Sustainable EFA

Projects

Build lasting relationships through community

engaged scholarship – EFA projects should involve

community engaged scholarship that is based upon a

social justice philosophy of education and long term

relationship building among project partners.

(Sumara, Frank, and Orr)

Redefine accountability – Canadian faculties of

education need to continue to take a moral stand in their

work with funding agencies and to find ways to loosen

bureaucratic constraints and narrow views of what

constitutes accountability in effective EFA projects.

(Magnusson and McNinch)

Kris Magnusson

Simon Fraser University

Bridging the Digital Divide

Principles for Sustainable EFA

Projects

Reduce risk and manage for sustainability – EFA projects need to be carefully and competently managed if they are to be successful, and this requires the commitment of all partners. At the same time, if EFA projects are to be sustainable, risk management assessments should be conducted frequently during the life of a partnership. (Sumara, Turnbull and Orr)

Bridge the digital divide – EFA projects should attempt to bridge the digital divide by employing, where it is warranted, cost effective educational technologies to empower marginalized communities through distance education modalities. (Magnusson and Turnbull)

Fiona Blaikie Brock University

EFA and Undergraduates

Principles for Sustainable EFA

Projects

Include research funding in all EFA projects – Funding

agencies need to be encouraged by faculties of education

to support the research components of EFA projects

because without research there can be no meaningful

knowledge exchange. (Magnusson)

Establish EFA components in undergraduate service

learning and practicum experiences – Faculties of

education should consider carefully the EFA potential of

the service learning and international practicum

opportunities that they can provide for their undergraduate

students. (Turnbull, Elliot, and Blaikie)

Principles for EFAEstablish institutional commitment

Empower graduate students

Expand EFA to include lifelong learning

Develop reciprocal knowledge exchanges

Build lasting relationships through community engaged scholarship

Redefine accountability

Reduce risk and manage for sustainability

Bridge the digital divide

Include research funding in all EFA projects

Establish EFA components in undergraduate service learning and practicum experiences

Conclusion

Canadian deans of education firmly

believe that stable, long-term EFA

partnerships grounded in well-

established intercultural relationships

provide the promise of increased global

security and prosperity and increased

hope for future generations of learners.